News Copy, New York

Spitzer On State Budget Woes: It's Wall Street's Fault

Governor Eliot Spitzer has blamed Wall Street for a reduction in state revenues -- and expect political ping-pong to be played with school funding.

Politics on the Hudson reported on State budget highlights, a $124 billion budget that will raise tax revenues and fees by $1.1 billion and use another $1.1 billion in one-shot revenues to close a potential budget gap.  State spending will be up by 5.1 percent.  Aid to public schools will be increased by $1.46 billlion, a number critics say doesn't come close to meeting CFE lawsuit demands for increased aid in education.

Spitzer said he had to make such “tough but necessary choices” because the Wall Street slide has cut anticipated state tax revenues.

It's Wall Street's fault now ...

Capitol Confidential reported that the public school lobby succeeded in getting Spitzer to remove a "private/parochial school tax deduction" from his budget proposal.

Spitzer does want to increase by $15 million, according to his office, the money that goes to these schools to help reimburse them for state education mandates -- a proposal that went waiting during the Pataki years.

Working Families Party Faults Governor For Not Being Robin Hood

Governor Eliot Spitzer caught criticism from the Working Families Party (WFP) for his budget, reported The Daily Politics.

WFP Executive Director Dan Cantor said today Spitzer is allowing "the richest New Yorkers" to pay "a smaller share" of the tax bite, thereby raising everyone else's property taxes.

"A modest tax increase on incomes above $300,000 a year (that's the 2-3% of households making almost $6,000 a week) would collect $6-7 billion a year in additional revenue, and help to right the balance."

Meanwhile, Spitzer has announced his tax cap study commission -- and it includes his former gubernatorial race opponent from Long Island, Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi.  Capitol Confidential had the story today, describing the merry band of tax cappers as being in "the big tent mold with a mix of Education Establishment types, lobbyists, local officials, tax critics, school funding advocates and at least one Wall Streeter."

The union-centric WFP will demand (and likely get) a place in that tent -- and the below graphic on WFP's clout at the ballot in 2006 demonstrates one reason why.

In Defense of Stupid Laws

Most casual political observers don't understand what all the fuss was about with the Supreme Court's ruling on Judicial Conventions.

Justice David Souter wrote, “I think it appropriate to emphasize the distinction between constitutionality and wise policy,” and went on to quote Justice Thurgood Marshall, who said many-a-time, “The Constitution does not prohibit legislatures from enacting stupid laws.”

Which is a nice way of saying New York enacted a stupid law -- and that our state's stupid law is being upheld by the Supreme Court!!!

The Gotham Gazette had a helpful overview of the decision.

Conventions will decide things behind closed-doors.  The previous court ruling directed the often-dysfunctional State Legislature to come up with a solution, which they would have done ... behind closed-doors.  One compelling argument had been that an open judicial primary process would have brought forth the influence of donors to the selection of judges.

... So we have the influence of party bosses instead.

Bill Has A Dream

There are worse things this former U.S. President could be caught doing.

Bill Clinton sleeps through King tribute: UK Telegraph

Mr. Clinton has been caught nodding before, most famously with his wife at the funeral of former president, Ronald Reagan.

He once said: “If I can take a nap, even 15 or 20 minutes in the middle of the day, it is really invigorating to me. On the days when I’m a little short of sleep, I try to work it out so that I can sneak off and just lie down for 15 minutes, a half an hour, and it really makes all the difference in the world."

Video comes courtesy of the New York Post.

Pile On Rudy

Daily Kos had a Pile On Rudy Day:  "Rudy Giuliani is Just Evil"

We're going to be giving him the Charlie Brown (Why is everybody always picking on me?) Award if this keeps up.

The Village Voice had nothing nice to say about Giuliani's 9/11 ad.

"When the world wavered, and history hesitated, Rudy never did."

Good ad.  Now why did he hesitate to go to Iowa and New Hampshire?

The Return of Ed Cox

The New York Observer's Azi Paybarah reported that McCain's campaign chairman in New York, Ed Cox says it is already over for Rudy on his own home turf.

“The nomination is over. He’s got the nomination,” Cox told me when I saw him last night at a Martin Luther King celebration event in Manhattan, hosted by the Congress for Racial Equality. “He fits New York to a tee.”

Azi raised the obvious question about a third party Michael Bloomberg candidacy.  Cox didn't sound daunted about Bloomberg either.  For McCain, this is the revenge of 2000 when Governor George Pataki tried to stop the U.S. Senator from being in a New York Republican Presidential primary.  For Ed Cox, this is clearly a return to the political fray after the State GOP tried to stop him from running statewide in 2006.

It could be a nice month to be Ed Cox.

Rudy: What Happened?

A former U.S. Attorney, circa 1984, making friends and making enemies.

Rudy's on the ropes, and getting no favors.

Al D'Amato has endorsed John McCain, reported by Elizabeth Benjamin of the New York Daily News in The Daily Politics blog.

Anyone who has worked on a campaign or ran a political party operation, waiting for Rudy Giuliani to show up, understands why the voters haven't shown up for him.

And Florida, dubbed by census figures as New York south, could be more the realm of the familiar for New York City's once law and order Mayor.  My flat prediction is that enough former New Yorkers in the Sunshine State have long enough memories to assuredly turn that primary into the fait accompli for America's Mayor.

Is a comeback possible?

Vox Populi

We're back ...

... but methinks the place is going to need some renovating.

I haven't decided yet what's staying or going -- or if this is a "teardown" as they say in the real estate business.

One thing stays the same though.

Have laptop, will travel.

Returning to the Fray

There has been a lot said about the "primal scream" evoked by so many blogs (I'm still not getting used to this name) across the United States baring perhaps too much of everything but New York's body politic had its healthy share of "news" this past year on a laundry list of web logs.

The bottom line continues to be that print news outlets are losing more of the media pie at ten percent a clip each quarter.  Less people are reading newspapers.  Less people are TIVO'ing out their personal time for the talking heads on television.  It's a wonder America didn't mistakenly elect a maniac this past election cycle -- and we might yet fall into that trap.

But in New York, blogs had bite.  The news blogging was exceptional, even when it bit a wordsmith like myself in the ass, and there is a lot more love dished out with that viotrol.  I only wish Albany was closer and less corrupt.  I missed most of the fun over the past twelve years.  I have been nested safely in local politics and probably get to walk away with my soul intact.  Like many other well-meaning political sorts in the news media and the political parties, a lot of us didn't cash in and many of us will be around for future battles.

Remember that if you're still standing, if you still have your moral compass intact, if you haven't lost your mind and checked into the Hotel California, you will undoubtedly live to fight another day.

For the many readers of this blog who wish it to continue, it shall return but I cannot yet predict if I will be back.

It's not the end of something.  It's a start.

Those who dived into the verbal rapport of online discourse, you know it meant something this past year.  I had my fun penning Stand Tall New York with Assemblyman Patrick Manning and many others who helped behind the scenes.  News Copy grew out of that effort, very much a lone effort on my part, but attention should be paid to the tall one for seeding this venture.

To Pastor Iovine, who carried News Copy as far as he could, this adventure continues for those we might someday see on the other side.  A special thanks to Rob Ryan, who singlehandedly did more for modern journalism in New York with his own personal seeding of stories than any other news outlet or campaign.  My favorite moment of the year came in Long Island at the State Republican Convention when a handful of reporters playfully confessed to missing Rob Ryan (sigh... "No Rob Ryan").

My mom repeated today that the candidacy of John Spencer brought forth one constant and indelible image; the happiness of his family and his children.  For those of us who understand John, we appreciate a lot of what transpired this past summer and it was an honor to hold onto the helm of his campaign's blog.  No number or percentage told the story better than the enthusiasm of his son Patrick at the State GOP convention.

Today, Vincent Natrella was buried.  He was a political leader who pulled no punches -- even with his friends.  He demanded better from those closest to him, a level of excellence and dedication to what was right that was as much old school politics as his keen understanding that the enemies were always at the gate.

And he was fun to hang out with, to listen to and to have on your side of a political fight.

It seems that most of the political races I have been involved with over the past twenty years had the former Westchester County Conservative Party leader close at hand in one capacity or another.  I'll miss him but his spirit will forever be by our side.  Not a day passes when I don't remember his distinct voice, a "rough and tumble" style that exemplified a passion for democracy.  Natrella cared.

If we stop caring, this country is finished.  The enemies are are still at the gate, if not over the moat (understatement), and most of us better be prepared for a bar room brawl in coming elections.  Vinny would have approved.

Finally, methinks the ashes of 2006 will bring forth tremendous opportunity for reformers.

I'll see you all on the other side, whatever happens.

The 24th: The One We Should Have Won

Since I spent a good portion of my formative years in Otsego County, in the heart of what is the 24th Congressional District, this particular race had my attention from day one.

It's the race Republicans should have won.

News 10 Now reported that Democrat Michael Arcuri defeated Republican Ray Meier 54-46 percent.

All that is left now are the plans for the next race in 2008.

It will be the race Republicans must win in two years.

Spano Needs 2-1 Paper Ballot Margin To Reverse Loss

I come here not to bury Nick Spano but to request that the Republican Party (and the local Westchester Connservative Party) stop wasting so many political resources on one man.

Saving Nick Spano has become the fulltime job of the Westchester Republican establishment and, to a lesser extent, it has almost became an active function of some Westchester Democrats too.

The State of New York has also dedicated many a budget line just to the incumbency protection of Nicholas Spano of Yonkers, to the detriment of many other candidates.  Spano's follies have been the annual political sinkhole of the State Senate Majority's budget.

Running as a liberal, his margins have only narrowed over the past ten years.  Running as Conservatives, his enemies have consistently earned margins of 60-65 percent in his home city of Yonkers.  In other words, everyone else in Westchester's political universe has paid -- directly or indirectly -- for State Senator Spano's obsession with drawing the women's vote with an opportunistic stand on liberal issues.

Whether he catered to the unions, the abortion lobby or gay marriage activists, it's a wonder that liberals haven't seen through Spano's political imitation of the Vichy French -- depending on what soap he was selling to what crowd.  Spano certainly cared about their votes but I question whether he ever cared about their issues.

In Albany, Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno predicted another narrow Spano victory.

"I'm still confident that Nick will come back with maybe 19 votes," he joked.

I'm still confident that State Senate Republicans can retain a majority two years from now but someone has to tell Joe Bruno to shut up, especially when it comes to liberal Republicans like Nick Spano.

The Jeff Brown race should have been enough of a lesson for Bruno and company.

Jim Fitzgerald of The Associated Press in Westchester County reported on Spano's apparent loss by over 2,000 votes.

What's worth noting is the headline of the story, lest anyone think Nick is sweating:

Incumbent Sen. Nick Spano refuses to concede, goes on vacation

Sources continue to whisper that nested federal, state and county monitors will closely watch the paper ballot count within the Westchester County Board of Elections -- and that they have been watching Nick Spano and company for over two years.

"We have 100 election lawyers up in Yonkers and there are federal inspectors as well," said state Sen. Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan), chairwoman of the Senate Democratic Campaign Committee.

The New York Daily News characterized the Republican's tenable hold on the majority as the lone "bright spot" this year for the GOP.

Perhaps.

The article also noted how Democrats are poised to "seize" control in 2008.

Thoughts On The Losers

The most disarming aspect of last night's State GOP Candidates Election Night gathering at the Crowne Plaza in Albany was the exodus of different political groups -- depending on the candidate.

Missing was State GOP chairman Stephen Minarik, who apparently had to be in Rochester for election returns.  I don't understand it.  It made for an anchor-less evening in terms of moderating the concession speeches of John Faso, John Spencer and Chris Callaghan.  Also missing was Jeanine Pirro, who chose Manhattan over Albany to give her concession speech.

Watching the returns come in over the big screen did little to motivate the crowd, since so many Republicans lost last night.

I'm glad Congressman Peter King won but could he have been anymore absent from the campaigns of other Republican candidates?

Congressman Vito Fosella of Staten Island was re-elected and had done his best to reach out to all the Republican candidates.  Republican Richard Hoffman of Yonkers lost to Congresswoman Nita Lowey, in a district that has been called the "six borough" for the way Westchester County votes for Democrats.  Hoffman was barely supported by Republicans.  I remember was Lowey's seat was at least competitive in the days of former Congressman Joe DioGuardi.

Yesterday, The New York Times detailed just how difficult it has been for Republicans like U.S. Senate candidate John Spencer to gain any help -- in terms of fundraising -- from the national Republicans.

Meanwhile, New Yorkers send over $150 million to the national operations of the Republican Party, either to incumbents or party committees.

DioGuardi had raised $1.6 million for his 1988 race against Lowey, who was then a challenger who defeated the two-term Republican by less than a half of a percentage point.  No Republican in the lower Hudson Valley has come close in terms of votes or fundraising since then.

DioGuardi also lost two primaries in the 1990s to Sue Kelly, whose six terms in her Mid-Hudson Valley seat seemed impregnable until a rock star named John Hall swamped her with a heavy upper Westchester County turnout of Democrats in this election.  Kelly was a moderate Republican who had earned her seat after two rounds of close primaries in 1994 and 1996.  Hers was a seat I doubt Republicans ever expected could be lost.

As for Congressman John Sweeney's loss to Kirsten Gillibrand, it was a loss due to "self-inflicted wounds" and not a victory for the liberal Democrat from a powerful Albany political family.  Democrats now fully control all the House seats on this side of the Hudson.  Republicans aren't likely to get it back for 15 years -- if they don't knock these new incumbents out of the box before re-districting in 2012.

Count on DioGuardi to challenge Hall in 2008 and others to line up before what should be an extremely crowded Republican primary in two years.

Count on Nita Lowey to fill Senator Hillary Clinton's seat -- and leave Democrats scrambling in their own crowded primary.  Though Hoffman has tried for the seat twice, the Republican chosen to run in 2008 could turn out to be a worse sacrificial lamb if Republican donors again forget/refuse to give any money to their candidate.

Westchester suffers from the reputation of being the 18th most affluent county in the nation yet one of the highest taxed.  Ironically, the wealthy of comparable counties are giving $2-4 million to their Congressional candidates and $4-6 million might be the price tag by 2012.

Hoffman could boast of his largest institutional donation being $250 from the New York State Young Republicans -- when most Westchester biggest donors could afford to give $4,200 a family or more without thinking twice.

The YR's gave what they could afford but one wonders when Westchester wakes up to join the rest of the country in terms of supporting its candidates.

The real losers last night were those political donors who stayed home all year and never gave to candidates.

The Day After...

Some say the Republicans had it coming, or at least certain Republicans.

The thousands of people since July who have reached out to me by e-mail all had the same message;

Albany is broken.  The Republican Party is broken.  This is George Pataki's fault.

It's the fault of many individuals, including many Democrats (and most liberal Democrats), but I will get into that later.

New Yorkers elected a State Comptroller who stole approximately $400,000 from the taxpayers, a liberal Governor who will raise taxes to appease the public unions and a U.S. Senator who is more concerned with running for President in 2008 than attending to New York's needs.

Now Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver gets to choose New York's next State Comptroller.

I believe Republican State Comptroller candidate Chris Callaghan said it best.  He found the choice of New York's voters "odd" but he respected the will of the people.

On The Issues

I'm not here right now.

Since July, I have taken a break from personal blogging to work on The Spencer Blog and website for Republican-Conservative U.S. Senate candidate John Spencer.

http://www.spencerforsenate.com

You will find plenty of information on the issues there, including links to both U.S. Senate debates.

The "Ugliness" of Politics

When I decided to stop commenting on politics, I did it cold turkey. No weaning, no easing, no fussing. Just stopped it. I had no horses in any of the races. And I didn't really care much about Assembly races or State Senate races in New York. Democrats, Republicans, Conservatives - who cares? I wasn't burnt out. I just didn't care.

So this morning when my friend, Bob Fois, the editor and guru of NewsCopy got a little ink in the New York Daily News, I felt that I should at least use a little pastoral guidance to pat Bob on the back.

I posted over at my church blog. I hope you give it a read.

The former "Yonkers Citizen"
Rev. Anthony J. Iovine

Getting Caught With Their Hands in the Cookie Jar

Newsday deserves kudos for finding out the Nassau County Legislators tried to hide more than $300,000 in salary increases for themselves in their spending plan they unveiled last week.

The County Legislature, run by Democrats, tried to sneak the increases in under a special line item category of "legislative assistants," but as Newsday reports this morning the line would actually give pay increases around $15,000 a year to Nassau Legislators. Oh, just in case you think this is an attack on the Democrats, the Repubicans were actually the ones who came up with this idea of stuffing a line item with pay increases first.

When the Fourth Estate does its job in keeping an eye on the government, you get good journalism like this.

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Sammon on Hillary 2008

Bill Sammon of the Washington Examiner has an interesting piece in that morning's newspaper on the prospects of a Senator Hillary Clinton presidential run in 2008. It is not one of those ground-breaking stories - it basically rehashes everything we have heard about Hillary 2008: she hasn't made up her mind; she doesn't want to talk about a potential run for president; some Democrats feel a Hillary candidacy will be a liability to the party because a lot of people don't like her. Nothing too out of the ordinary from Sammon today.

There was one thing I learned: Hillary's middle name is Diane.

One thing about the Clinton Campaign - the 2006 re-election version: she has decided to debate her GOP opponent, John Spencer, twice in the span of two days - October 20th and 22nd. This will be Spencer's chance to actually challenge and lay out a plan for what a "Senator Spencer" will do in Washington. He will have to be worried about one thing: coming off too arrogant. He has a tendancy to act very arrogant against his debate opponents, which could help Hillary. Not that she needs any help right now...

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Fueling the Fire

(A Few Days Late, But What the Heck)

U.S. Senate candidate John Spencer (R) is doing all he can to wrest some amount of free press coverage from the New York mainstream media.  When you are challenging the big dog in the lot, Democrat U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton, sometimes you need a little help to get noticed. Spencer is trying to raise national money, especially from conservative groups who would be traditionally supportive of a conservative candidate in a spotlight race like his. His biggest problem to overcome is the perception that Clinton has already won this race and is focusing on her 2008 presidential bid.

What is not helping Spencer are the persistent rumors flying out of the City of Yonkers and Westchester County that the former Yonkers mayor is planning a re-do in his hometown, preparing in some way for a 2007 mayoral bid.

I have been "reporting" this for a while, as have other localized bloggers over at The Yonkers Tribune. But on Sunday, this rumor made it into the mainstream media's focus: Journal News columnist Phil Reisman opines that Spencer's lust for revenge against current Yonkers Mayor Phil Amicone is fuel some inner urge for him to run for mayor next year.

Amicone and Spencer were best friends at one time. The two were inseperable. When Spencer was building his staff after his 1995 election win, and when he wasn't hiring hacks and political flunkies, he hired his best bud Amicone as deputy mayor, a man with executive government experience in the City of White Plains. Amicone was very well liked by business leaders and certain political heads because of his direct approach at dealing with issues. So hiring Amicone made perfect sense for Spencer.

During their eight years together, both men worked very well together. Amicone's quiet nature of dealing with development issues really helped feed a positive outlook for the Spencer public relation's machine - Yonkers had turned a corner because of all the development that was coming into the city. When Spencer's term neared the end, Amicone was asked to run for mayor to continue the "Spencer legacy." After a bitter primary battle between the Deputy Mayor, Assemblyman Michael Spano, and City Council President Vincenza Restiano, Amicone, riding Spencer's coattails was able to win the three-way and eventually keys to the executive washroom.

When Amicone assumed office, he kept on Kathy Spring-Spencer, the new wife of former mayor John, as his chief of staff. Regardless of perception, Spring-Spencer had a good political head on her shoulders and would be an asset to Amicone, a truly non-political animal who was now the head of Yonkers' government. But soon, Amicone tried to be Spencer, copying his public banter that always rubbed people the wrong way - which was something that he should not have done - and Amicone was facing a public backlash.

Amicone's public perception was slowly doing that circle-thing down the toilet of Yonkers' politics, and those close to Amicone placed the blame on Spencer and their close association, which had taken a beating in the Yonkers media from the time he left office. In an effort to change the perception that "Amicone is Spencer," Amicone terminated Spencer's wife from his Administration, causing a permanent rift between the two former best friends.

Based on this, Spencer's motivation to possibly run for mayor is centered on revenge, Reisman wrote this weekend.

Personally, there are many other factors at play in Yonkers today that could make a Spencer re-do a problem for him. The local Republican Party doesn't truly support him (they don't support Amicone either, but they are closer to Amicone than they are all willing to admit). Spencer's numbers in Yonkers aren't very good right now. But in Yonkers, dirty politics always seems to change hearts and minds. Negative campaigning is usually seen as passion - someone wants the office sooooo badly, they are willing to do anything to get it or keep it.

Spencer has to focus on his Senate run - and this stuff about his potential run for Yonkers mayor in 2007 can't be helpful right now.

The Last Great Hope is Down by 17

It is said that former Westchester County District Attorney Jeanine Pirro, wife of NASCAR wanna-be driver Albert Pirro, is the last hope for the New York State Republicans to save face in this November's elections. She is believed to be the most electable of any of the statewide candidates this year.

But the latest poll highlights a slight problem: she's down by 17 points to Democrat Andy Cuomo.

New York State Republicans, already bracing themselves for an Election Day disaster in the state elections, have to be popping the Excedrin early this day.

Morning Coffee for 9.15

The New York Times fronts a story that we've all heard about in dribs and drabs --- Governor George Pataki is filling up state authorities and boards with appointees who will serve for years after he vacates the Executive Mansion. Democrats, of course, aren't thrilled.

And for the 85th millionth time, NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg is not running for president.

Unemployment in NY has dipped and is now matching the national average of 4.7%. Guess the economy in NYS ain't so bad after all.

First Lady Laura Bush is coming to NY to help Congressman John Sweeney raise a little dough. Sweeney's race, once on the GOP's endangered list, as quietly moved back into the "looking better than ever" category.

Someone please get GOP Attorney General candidate Jeanine Pirro's husband a driver.

In national political news, the Republican House of Representatives passed yet again another bill calling for the construction of a fence along America's southern border with Mexico. Of couse, it has no chance in the Senate because of Republicans like Senators John McCain and Lindsay Graham who want to give citizenship to illegal aliens.  Democrats, in a very sad and pathetic way, called the fence a new "Berlin Wall."

Finally, it pays to be a drinker...in one way.

99th Assembly District Race - Now the Fun

Rumors are starting that Republican Assemblyman Willis Stephens, Jr. will get some pressure from Albany Republicans to pull out of his re-election race after he got stomped by Greg Ball, his GOP challenger, on Tuesday. Stephens is the Conservative and Independence Party candidates, but the big line - the Republican - will now have Greg Ball as their standard bearer. Republicans don't want the district to be split and go to the Democrat in race, Ken Harper.

In a year that is shaping up to be a huge Democrat year in New York State, the GOP is trying to keep their loses to a minimum. They are spending heavily on certain tight races (think: Nick Spano in the 35th State Senate District, for instance) and don't need to spend money in a traditionally safe Republican district like the 99th. Look for Stephens to begin to receive plenty of pressure to pull out. As one Albany Republican wrote to me about Stephens:

"He has to pull out. We can't lose anymore seats in the Assembly. If he runs, Harper wins. He has to pull out."

Ball is receiving plenty of coverage in his Hudson Valley race, particularly in The Journal News. Reporter Michael Risinit writes that it was Ball's energy and pre-race planning that helped him out a lot:

Since he formally announced his intention in May 2005 to run for the state Assembly, Ball has been nothing but proactive. His relentlessness — knocking on doors, sending out mailers and staging debates — attracted both criticism and admiration.

But what mattered in the end was that seven out of every 10 voters in the 99th Assembly District pulled the lever next to his name.

"Ball came knocking on my door," said Marilyn Burke, a 45-year Yorktown resident, explaining her choice. "I never even knew Stephens was my legislator."

Now the fun begins. What does Stephens do?

Would Spencer Have Made a Good Governor Candidate?

Ever since former Yonkers Mayor John D. Spencer started on his quest last year to become the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, a nomination he won on Tuesday when he defeated his GOP opponent, K.T. McFarland, in a primary, I have had this nagging suspicion that Spencer would have made a better gubernatorial candidate.

This isn't an attack on John Faso or even on Spencer in his attempt to become the junior Senator from New York. But wouldn't he have had a more compelling case if he was GOP standard bearer for Governor?

Now, I know - he was a legislator in the City of Yonkers for a number of years. He knows how to be a legislator. But he has also been a chief executive of a city with a budget over $700 Million (when he was there, it is higher now). Thinking about his experience:

- He did have executive experience when he served as Mayor of Yonkers.
- He did have to work within a framework of dealing with legislators (even though during most of her 2 terms, the City Council was friendly to him and gave him what he wanted).
- He did have the obligation to balance the city's budget each year (even though the budgets had built within them deficits for the coming years, something that every major city had to do in order to balance their budgets; but not one of Spencer's budgets was rejected by the State Comptroller after adoption).
- He did have the obligation to work with the Board of Education to garner funding, something that forced him to work legislators in Albany and with the state's chief executive.
- And most importantly, he had the necessity of dealing with the public and their concerns one-on-one.

All of those things provide him with a solid foundation to take his experience to another level, that being the Executive Mansion in Albany.

Now, we can harp on all of Spencer's faults, something that was highlighted during the primary and is currently being hammered home by Senator Clinton's spokesperson, the very able and feisty and former Yonkers resident, Howard Wolfson. However, if we scrape off all this campaign rhetoric, Spencer's government experience has him better suited for an executive position, don't you think?

Ah, my post is more than a year too late.

Spencer is embarking on a hunt to get Clinton and wrest the U.S. Senate seat away from her. He is using her presidential ambitions against her, something that is important especially if she intends to be a part-time New York Senator while being a full-time presidential candidate for the next two-years. Spencer has gone after the Senator on national security, and has been attacked by talking heads (I write that term not of derision, but of categorizing them) for his charges made against Clinton. Pollsters and media pundits have already chalked up a victory for Clinton in November, and a rather big one at that, even though no ballots have been cast yet.

And yet, Spencer moves on, trying to raise money from national conservative causes, money that has flowed a little more freely during the month of August, but clearly not up to the monsoon of cash Spencer needs to force Hillary to campaign more in New York and defend her record. But the money is coming in, I am told.

Rumors out of the City of Yonkers continue to make the case that Spencer will consider another run for the mayoralty of Yonkers next year. His relationship with former best friend Yonkers Mayor Phil Amicone isn't great, and neither is his relationship with the leadership of the local Republican Party. But Amicone has a lot of fence building to do with his own City Council and the Republicans, who right now don't like him very much. Some would rather have Spencer back.

Molinaro Beats Back Manning ... Maybe

With only 248 votes separating the two men, it will come down to counting absentees and probably a recount.

But Assemblyman Patrick Manning is looking at the end of his time in Albany as he is on the wrong end of election results, losing to Marc Molinaro of Tivoli. One year ago, Manning was a candidate for governor, but after gaining zero ground against the top challengers at the time, he dropped out of the race. Oh, and there was that little problem with him and the "other woman."

Manning decided to run for re-election, but the locals in the 103rd District decided to back Molinaro, a former resident of the City of Yonkers, for the Assembly. With their help and backing, Molinaro appears to have gotten himself a slim victory ... but a victory nonetheless.

That is unless the 200 or so absentee ballots and the usual state recount change it.

Doesn't look good for Team Manning.

The Republican Team

Waiting for the Democrats to make fun of the Faso-Spencer top-of-the-ticket pairing...